Above-Base Mark Positioning

Tag: abvm

Function: Positions marks above base glyphs. In complex scripts like Devanagari (Indic), the Anuswar needs to be positioned above the base glyph. This base glyph can be a base consonant or conjunct. The base glyph and the presence/absence of other marks above the base glyph decides the location of the Anuswar, so that they do not overlap each other.

Above-Base Substitutions

Tag: abvs

Function: Substitutes a ligature for a base glyph and mark that's above it. In complex scripts like Kannada (Indic), the vowel sign for the vowel I which a mark, is positioned above base consonants. This mark combines with the consonant Ga to form a ligature.

Akhands

Tag: akhn

Function: Preferentially substitutes a sequence of characters with a ligature. This substitution is done irrespective of any characters that may precede or follow the sequence. In complex scripts like Devanagari (Indic), the sequence Ka, Halant, Ssa should always produce the ligature Kssa, irrespective of characters that precede/follow the above given sequence. The Kssa is identified in Devanagari as an Akhand character (meaning unbreakable).

Below-Base Forms

Tag: blwf

Function: Substitutes the below-base form of a consonant in conjuncts. In complex scripts like Oriya (Indic), the consonant Va has a below-base form that is used to generate conjuncts. Given a sequence Gha, Virama (Halant), Va; the below-base form of Va would be substituted to form the conjunct GhVa.

Below-Base Mark Positioning

Tag: blwm

Function: The form that consonants appear below the base glyph. Consonants in below-base form appear in Bengali syllables after the ones that form the base glyph. Below-base forms are represented by the non-spacing mark glyph.

Below-Base Substitutions

Tag: blws

Function: Produces ligatures that comprise of base glyph and below-base forms. In the Malayalam script (Indic), the conjunct Kla, requires a ligature which is formed using the base glyph Ka and the below-base form of consonant La. This feature can also be used to substitute ligatures formed using base glyphs and below base matras in Indic scripts.

Distances

Tag: dist

Function: Provides a means to control distance between glyphs. In the Devanagari (Indic) script, the distance between the vowel sign U and a consonant can be adjusted using this.

Half Forms

Tag: half

Function: Produces the half forms of consonants in Indic scripts. In Hindi (Devanagari script), the conjunct KKa, obtained by doubling the Ka, is denoted with a half form of Ka followed by the full form.

Halant Forms

Tag: haln

Function: Produces the halant forms of consonants in Indic scripts. In Sanskrit (Devanagari script), syllable final consonants are frequently required in their halant form.

Nukta Forms

Tag: nukt

Function: Produces Nukta forms in Indic scripts. In Hindi (Devanagari script), a consonant when combined with a nukta gives its nukta form.

Pre-base Substitutions

Tag: pres

Function: Produces the pre-base forms of conjuncts in Indic scripts. It can also be used to substitute the appropriate glyph variant for pre-base vowel signs. In the Gujarati (Indic) script, the doubling of consonant Ka requires the first Ka to be substituted by its pre-base form. This in turn ligates with the second Ka. Applying this feature would result in the ligaturised version of the doubled Ka.

Post-base Substitutions

Tag: psts

Function: Substitutes a sequence of a base glyph and post-base glyph, with its ligaturised form. In the Malayalam (Indic) script, the consonant Va has a post base form. When the Va is doubled to form a conjunct- VVa; the first Va [base] and the post base form that follows it, is substituted with a ligature.

Reph Form

Tag: rphf

Function: Substitutes the Reph form for a consonant and halant sequence. In the Devanagari (Indic) script, the consonant Ra possesses a reph form. When the Ra is a syllable initial consonant and is followed by the virama, it is repositioned after the post base vowel sign within the syllable, and also substituted with a mark that sits above the base glyph.

Vattu Variants

Tag: vatu

Function: Substitutes ligatures for conjuncts made up of base consonants with consonants that have vattu forms. In the Devanagari (Indic) script, the consonant Ra takes a vattu form, when it is not the syllable initial consonant in a conjunct. This form ligates with the base consonant as well as half forms of consonants.